Efficient and sustainable value chains of forest products are important for sustainable forest management, improved rural livelihoods, and poverty alleviation. However, in most tropical developing countries, these value chains are not well developed and governed effectively to ensure the equitable distribution of income and benefits from the trade in timber; thus, they provide less incentive for sustainable forest management. Inefficiencies and inequitable distribution of benefits in the timber value chains can contribute to forest degradation. Timber value chains that are well developed and sustainable are thus important for the objectives of market-based climate governance mechanisms such as REDD+, and as such, REDD+ initiatives can provide pathways and direct interventions for developing equitable and sustainable timber value chains. This, however, requires a clear understanding of the functioning and distribution of benefits in the value chain. Thus, this study assesses the teak timber value chain in Myanmar with the aim of identifying the bottlenecks that require interventions for REDD+ compatibilityRead More

This study is the first of its kind that looks at the impact of endocrine-disrupting compounds on the waterbodies of Chitwan National Park. It serves as a baseline on chemicals that severely impact aquatic biodiversity and clearly such monitoring needs to be done on a more regular basisRead More

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a global initiative developed as part of the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). REDD+ aims to contribute to mitigating climate change by compensating developing countries for the cost of reducing net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the forest sector. REDD+ National Strategies or Action Plans (NS/APs) can reduce GHG emissions by lowering the rate of deforestation and forest degradation (D&FD) and/or removing GHG from the atmosphere through ‘forest enhancement’ activities (the ‘+’ of REDD+)1, for example, by establishing plantations (reforestation and afforestation) and restoring degraded forest landscapesRead More

This manual has been prepared for facilitators working with planners and multiple stakeholders in the development of sub-national plans for Reduced Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). It is based on idea that subnational REDD+ planning is essential for operationalising a REDD+ National Strategy. The manual is based on pilot Sub-national REDD+ Action Plan (SRAP) experiences in Vietnam and Nepal over the period 2014-2016. It is written in a prescriptive style, but the methodology is generic and can be adapted to the country context and requirementsRead More

This study illustrates how a private sector- Plantec Coffee Estate (P) Ltd was able to successfully bring a positive change in restoring degraded landscape through private investment. Before establishment of agroforestry (1994), the land use was dominated by cultivated (73.2%), barren land (17.1%) and shrub/bushes (6.3%). Now 81.2% of area is covered by forest, out of which 52% has closed canopy. The total carbon stock of an area was found to be 6795 tons (equivalent to 24,939 tCO2), which cost would be USD 124,693 at the rate of 5 USD per tCO2. This finding also highlighted the fact that agroforestry in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is a suitable biological mitigation intervention that contributes to NDC targets and REDD+ objectivesRead More

Finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is one of the complex challenges conservationists and local communities have to contend with for an enduring period. Biodiversity is crucial for enriching the forests including the existing flora and fauna species residing in the forest, which is a key element of the GIZ/ICIMOD REDD+ Himalaya Initiative. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) has been selected by the Government of Nepal for developing the REDD+ programme. This area harbours numerous wildlife corridors, and with the enhancement of habitats through REDD+ conservation activities, the wildlife population will increase. This will further exacerbate existing human-wildlife conflict. Therefore, to ensure and address such challenges, REDD+ mechanisms need to incorporate human-wildlife mitigation measures.

The study employed various methods including mapping of the fences, observation, focus group discussions, and key informant and official interviews with conservationists in the CNP and NTNC-BCC to collect data. A total of 57 fences were visited and mapped in 54 community forests which are made up of buffer zone community forests and community forests under the district forest office

Global warming leading to climate change is a rapidly growing global threat to humanity and environment of the world. The present research in the Langtang Valley, Central Nepal attempts to find out the impact of climate change on glacier retreat and local community based on the studies of available long-term hydrological-meteorological data, satellite image analysis of glaciers from 1979 to 2009, and observation of local people and their experience on climate change issues. The high altitude areas of the Langtang Valley show a consistent trend of increase in temperature, a clear evidence of the global warming that has resulted in the fast melting of glaciers with both horizontal and vertical retreats. The Lirung Glacier and the Kimjung Glacier have retreated for over 900 metre and 400 metre, respectively, with an average retreat of about 40 metre/year and total vertical retreat in the snout position is 100 metre for both. The study also reveals that this glacier retreat is due to an increase in temperature and a change in patterns of precipitation and snowfall. The study also shades light on some socio-economic impacts of such changes on the livelihood of marginal communities residing downstream the affected areasRead More

In 2010, forests accounted for 40 percent (5.96 million ha) and other types of woodland made up 4 percent (0.65 million ha ) of the land area of Nepal (DFRS 2015c). Of the total forest area, 38 percent was in the mid-hills, 32 percent in the high mountains, 23 percent in the Siwaliks, and 7 percent in the Terai. The Terai comprises the plains of Nepal and the Siwaliks are a low range of hills between the Terai and the mid-hills. The Terai and the Siwaliks have witnessed steady deforestation with the gradual conversion of forest to agricultural land and the growth of infrastructure development. In the mid-hills and high mountains, however, forest cover has been increasing since 1995 (DFRS, 2014a, 2014b, 2015a, 2015b). The annual deforestation rate is 0.44 percent (1,648 ha/yr.) in the Terai and 0.18 percent (2,537 ha/yr.) in the Siwaliks. The average carbon stock in Nepal’s forests is 177 tC/ha, with the lowest amount (117 tC/ha) in the Siwaliks and the highest amount (272 tC/ha) in the mountains (DFRS, 2014a, 2015a, 2015c)Read More

REDD+, agroforestry systems have the potential to reduce deforestation and forest degradation directly and indirectly. They supply timber and fuel wood that would otherwise be sourced from adjacent forests. In fact, agroforestry has been used in several protected area landscape buffer zones and in conservation programmes as a way of reducing pressure on forests. However, enabling market infrastructure, policies on tree rights and ownership and safeguards would be necessary for agroforestry to effectively contribute to the goals of REDD+Read More

Natural wetlands constitute one of the major sources of methane emission to the atmosphere. Data on methane emission from wetlands on southern slopes of the Himalaya (SSH) have not been reported so far. Such data are very valuable for filling the gap and generating the whole emission patterns at regional or even global scale. We selected two wetlands at different altitudinal locations in Nepal, i.e. Beeshazar Lake (286 m a.s.l.) and Dhaap Lake (2089 m a.s.l.), to monitor the daytime methane emissions in monsoon season and dry season separately. Daytime methane emission varied between monsoon and dry seasons and also across different plant communities. The daytime methane emission variations were stronger in dry season than in monsoon season. The source/sink strengths of the two selected plant communities in each wetland were significantly different, presenting the strong spatial variation of methane emission within wetland. The methane emissions recorded in monsoon season were significantly higher (7.74 Â± 6.49 mg CH4 mâˆ’2 hâˆ’1 and 1.00 Â± 1.23 mg CH4 mâˆ’2 hâˆ’1 in low and high altitude wetlands, respectively) than those in dry season (1.84 Â± 4.57 mg CH4 mâˆ’2 hâˆ’1 and 0.27 Â± 0.71 mg CH4 mâˆ’2 hâˆ’1 in low and high altitude wetlands, respectively). Methane emissions from the low altitude wetland were significantly higher than those from the high altitude wetland in both of the seasons. Plant community height, standing water depth and soil temperature correlated to the methane emission from wetlands in this regionRead More